Ball from Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal to be auctioned

A football used by Argentine legend Diego Maradona during the iconic 1986 World Cup quarter-final match against England is set to be auctioned, potentially fetching millions. This is the same game where Maradona scored the controversial "Hand of God" goal.

The auction, organized by Heritage Auctions in the United States from August 21 to 23, anticipates the ball could sell for as much as $10 million. The bidding will commence at $2.5 million for the ball from the match played on June 22, 1986, in Mexico City.

In the 51st minute of that game, Maradona famously used his hand to score the opening goal, a moment he later jokingly attributed to the "Hand of God." Just four minutes later, he scored a second, breathtaking goal after dribbling past four opponents and the goalkeeper, securing a 2-1 victory for Argentina. The team went on to win the World Cup title a week later.

Heritage Auctions has authenticated the ball through a letter from the match referee, Tunisian Ali Bennaceur, dated 2023. Bennaceur confirmed he kept the only ball used during the match and possessed it for over 30 years. The ball also bears the signatures of his assistant referees from that game. This follows the 2021 auction where Maradona's jersey from the same England match sold for $9.3 million.

“

Hand of God